ProQuest

Definition

ProQuest is a comprehensive database service that provides access to a vast collection of academic resources, including journals, dissertations, newspapers, and other scholarly materials. It serves as an essential tool for researchers and students seeking high-quality information across various disciplines, helping them to support their academic work and enhance their research capabilities.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. ProQuest offers access to millions of documents across various subjects, making it an invaluable resource for students and researchers alike.
2. The platform includes specialized databases like ProQuest Central, which aggregates content from different fields, including business, health, and social sciences.
3. Users can find historical newspapers and primary source documents in ProQuest, which are critical for conducting thorough research.
4. ProQuest provides tools for citation generation and data analysis, helping users properly reference their sources and analyze trends in research.
5. Many educational institutions subscribe to ProQuest, granting students free access to its resources through their libraries or institutional accounts.

Review Questions

• How does ProQuest enhance the research capabilities of students and scholars?
  • ProQuest enhances research capabilities by offering a diverse range of academic resources that include peer-reviewed journals, dissertations, and primary source documents. This extensive collection enables students and scholars to access credible information that supports their academic work. Additionally, ProQuest's user-friendly interface and tools for citation generation streamline the research process, allowing users to focus more on analysis rather than gathering data.
• What are the benefits of using ProQuest's specialized databases compared to general search engines?
  • Using ProQuest's specialized databases provides several benefits over general search engines. The content in ProQuest is curated and often peer-reviewed, ensuring higher quality and more reliable information. Additionally, ProQuest allows users to filter results by various criteria like publication type or date, making it easier to find relevant studies or articles specific to a particular field. This targeted approach significantly improves the efficiency of research compared to general search engines.
• Evaluate the impact of access to databases like ProQuest on the overall quality of academic research in higher education.
  • Access to databases like ProQuest significantly improves the quality of academic research in higher education by providing students and faculty with reliable sources of information. With a wealth of peer-reviewed articles, historical data, and specialized content at their fingertips, researchers can develop well-supported arguments and innovative ideas. Furthermore, this access fosters collaboration among researchers across disciplines by facilitating the discovery of interrelated studies, ultimately enhancing the scholarly conversation and advancing knowledge in various fields.

Related terms

Database: A structured collection of data that is stored electronically and can be accessed, managed, and updated.

Peer-reviewed: A process where scholarly work is evaluated by experts in the same field before publication to ensure its quality and credibility.

Interlibrary Loan: A service that allows libraries to borrow materials from one another on behalf of their patrons, expanding access to resources beyond a single library's collection.